STAMPS AND HISTORY
What a wealth of history is recalled by a glance through the pages of
our stamp albums! The romantic changes which France has undergone, the
efforts made by Germany for securing a wider empire, the ups and downs
of Spain, the gradual growth of Italy, and a hundred other indications
of progress and decay are all reflected therein.
Let us take, first of all, the case of Germany. In the earliest years
we find stamps issued by a multitude of little States--_i.e._, Baden,
Bavaria, Bergedorf, Brunswick, Hanover, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Odenburg,
Prussia, Saxony, etc.--whilst the towns of Hamburg, Bremen, and Lubeck
also had individual postal rights of their own. The first step of
consolidation came on January 1, 1868, when most of the above
authorities joined what was called the North German Confederation, and
nearly all of the separate units ceased to issue stamps. The
Confederation adhesives were current from 1868 to 1871--that is, until
the German Empire sprang into being. When the Franco-German War of
1870-1871 placed the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine under Prussian
rule, special German stamps were sold in the captured territory. As they
bore values in centimes, they were withdrawn as soon as "groschens" and
"kreuzers" became generally current. A less important instance of
Prussian absorption occurred on August 9, 1890, when the labels of
Heligoland bearing a portrait of Queen Victoria were replaced by the
regular German stamps. Further Teutonic progress is made evident by the
numerous colonial issues which this kingdom has placed on sale since
1897. Lastly, may be mentioned the adhesives bearing the familiar effigy
of "Germania," overprinted for use in Belgium.
The stamps of Spain are also interesting. The first issue (January 1,
1850) bore very crude portraits of the unscrupulous Queen Isabella II.
Various sets, all of them highly inartistic, were issued between 1850
and 1868. In the latter year a revolution occurred, and the Queen was
deposed, a republic being instituted instead of the monarchy. Isabella's
stamps were temporarily overprinted with the words "HABILITADO POR LA
NACION," and when the stock was exhausted, a new design, bearing an
allegorical head typifying Liberty and Spain, became current. The
republic did not last long, for the claims to the throne of the Duke of
Aosta were considered well founded, and he was crowned King in 1872.
Amadeus, as he was called, figured on the stamps for a brief twelve
months. These were stormy times. Unable to cope with them, he abdicated,
and the republic was reinstated, the new stamps bearing first an
allegorical figure of Peace and then of Justice. But even the
representative Government was short-lived. The people once more turned
to the House of Bourbon, and Alfonso XII. became King. He reigned ten
years, and was then succeeded by his son, Alfonso XIII., the present
ruling Sovereign.
The Italian adhesives are no less interesting. We have already indicated
the manner in which Modena, Naples, Parma, Romagna, the Roman States,
Sicily, Tuscany, and Sardinia joined together to form the Kingdom of
Italy, and elected the King of Sardinia to be the new Sovereign. This
latter was Victor Emmanuel II. He was succeeded by his son, Humbert I.,
who fell by the assassin's hand whilst riding on the outskirts of Milan
in 1900. The present King, a fine example of soldier and statesman, is
Victor Emmanuel III.
Probably no stamps reveal greater matters of historical importance than
those of our neighbour, France. When adhesives were first issued by this
country a republic was in power, and so an allegorical head, that of
Ceres, embellished the new labels. In 1852 Louis Napoleon became
President of the Republic, and, being a man who loved notoriety, he
placed his bust upon the ten and twenty-five centimes values. Later on,
as is known to all, he became Napoleon III.,[4] Emperor of the French,
and the wording on the adhesives was changed from REPUB. FRANC. to
EMPIRE FRANC. Later on, in 1863, to mark the successes which the French
won over the Austrians, the head of Napoleon was encircled in a laurel
crown. The final stage was reached in October, 1870, when the Germans
gained an almost crushing victory over the French. As a result, the
Empire fell, and a republic once more ruled over the country. The head
of the Emperor was removed from the stamps, and Ceres again appeared
upon them. Thus the adhesives of France plainly indicate the changing
course taken by the Government of our neighbour across the Channel.
[4] As there was no Napoleon II., readers may wonder why the above
monarch received the title of Napoleon III. The reason is a highly
amusing one. The draft of the proclamation issued by the Government
announcing his ascendancy to the throne commenced with the following
words: "VIVE NAPOLEON!!!" The printer took the three exclamation marks
to be the figures III, and his press accordingly reproduced the mistake
some thousands of times over. Before the error was discovered, Paris and
the other great towns had been placarded with the incorrect imprints.
There was no time to lose, so the Emperor, much to the amusement of his
courtiers, agreed to take the title of Napoleon III.
[Illustration: ZOOLOGICAL STAMPS
1 Dromedary 5 Quetzal 9 Springbok and Gnu
2 Kangaroo 6 Tiger 10 Emu
3 Giraffe 7 Panther 11 Malay Stag
4 Anteater 8 Swan]
If we turn to the stamps of Portugal, a most interesting array of
monarchs will be revealed. Queen Maria figures upon the earliest stamps,
but after two years of currency her portrait gave place to that of King
Pedro V., which in turn was followed by a representation of King Luiz.
In 1889 King Carlos ascended the throne, and his effigy was given on the
issues of 1892 and 1895. The assassination of Carlos and his elder son,
which shocked the whole world, resulted in the appearance of King
Manoel's features upon the stamps printed between 1908 and 1910. The
events which marred his short and stormy reign are known to all, and in
1910 he took up his abode in England. Afterwards a republic sprang up,
and the present adhesives bear the imprint of Liberty.
If we leave Europe and examine the stamps of the remaining four
continents, many other events of great historical bearing will be
revealed. The labels of the Transvaal, for instance, tell of two British
occupations and two republics; the Egyptian labels show Turkish
influence followed by a British protectorate; the early United States
labels hint at the war which was waged to put down slavery; whilst the
Cuban labels indicate Spanish occupation, followed first by the
protection of the United States, and then by the creation of an
independent republic. The adhesives of the Central and South American
republics are worthy of special note, as they point to insurrections,
wars, provisional governments, and troublous times in general. But no
matter where we turn in our albums, interesting landmarks of the world's
history will be revealed by our treasured labels.